Paint rollers offer an easy and efficient way to pain flat surfaces. The roller eliminates brush marks and provides a smoothly finished surface for even the relatively unskilled painter. Paint rollers are typically charged with paint using a roller tray. This shallow rectangular tray usually has a sloped bottom surface with some ridges formed in it to help distribute the paint evenly over the roller. Painting with a roller and roller tray can become more difficult if it becomes necessary for the painter to stand on a ladder while painting. This often occurs when painting ceilings or higher portions of walls. When the painter must stand on a ladder, the positioning of the roller tray can be problematical. What is desired is a way to secure the roller tray to a ladder or step ladder in such a way that it can be easily removed and attached to facilitate filling and cleaning of the tray. Various inventions have been developed to address this problem.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,822,846, issued to Jesionowski, discloses a combination platform roller pan and tray for a paint roller that has a pair of aligned bosses which extend outwardly from each side thereof, the bosses being releasably engageable with locking means which is releasably associated with the ladder, the locking means in one form comprising a locking hook engageable with the step or rung of the ladder and, in another form, comprising a locking cam engageable in the rung of the ladder.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,424,949, issued to Kimmett, et al. is directed to an adjustable paint tray support for use on a ladder having a bracket for attaching to one of the legs of the ladder is disclosed. The bracket contains a section for engaging one of the steps or rungs on the ladder. A support member for the paint tray is pivotally connected to the bracket. The support member has a raised portion at each end for engaging the paint tray. A clamp is positioned on the bracket to engage a portion of the support member to releasably secure the support member with respect to the bracket.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,489,911, issued to Riley illustrates a device capable of being mounted on a ladder having hollow rungs comprises a platform or tray having a first arm mounted thereon adjacent one end thereof and a second arm pivotably mounted thereon adjacent the other end thereof and extending below the platform or tray, said second arm being adjustable in length and said arms being adapted to enter the hollow rungs of a ladder. In use the first and second arms are inserted in separate rungs of the ladder, the second arm being inserted in the rung below the first arm.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,193, issued to Parris disclose a tray that attaches to the side of hollow-rung ladders. The tray is sized large enough to accommodate an industry standard paint-roller-pan and hold it in a convenient position for the user either at the left side or at the right side of the ladder. The tray mounts to the ladder via a shaft that passes thru one hollow-rung. Secure attachment to various width ladders is accomplished via a safety-clip inserted into one of the series of thru-holes in the free end of the shaft that extends thru the hollow-rung. Adjustment of the tray to horizontal is accomplished via a movable L-shaped support that penetrates into a second hollow-rung. This invention contains fewer and simpler parts in comparison to prior inventions.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,461,752, issued to Lemon, et al. is directed to a ladder-upright-mountable, paint tray assembly is provided wherein at least one bracket assembly is provided on the underside of upper, paint draining portion of the paint tray assembly. Therefore each bracket assembly is a sliding fit on the ladder upright and hooks over a portion of a ladder rung adjacent that upright. A central bracket assembly may be provided alone or in combination with two side bracket assemblies. In other embodiments only two side brackets are provided. Pairs of paint container wall members may also be provided, aligned with the bracket assemblies, for the ladder upright to be slidably retained therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,493,751, issued to Misiukowiec, et al. discloses a versatile paint pan has a receptacle and a bracket removably attached to the back of the receptacle. The bracket has a base and two legs. The bracket may be pivoted to dispose the paint pan on a horizontal surface. The bracket may be supported transversely on a step of a ladder such that the receptacle is suspended vertically externally of the side rail of the ladder. The bracket may also be supported substantially parallel to a step of the ladder and such that the receptacle is suspended vertically between the side rails of the ladder. The paint pan has a paint brush holder and a removable cover.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,245, issued to Etesam discloses a step ladder that includes legs and a ladder top connected to the ladder legs. The ladder top is molded integrally from a polymer material and has an inverted-cup shape defined by a generally rectangular central web with a periphery and peripheral flanges extending generally down from the periphery. The web defines a platform of the ladder top on which articles such as tools and paint cans can be placed. The web has a pair of eye-loops protruding up from a plane common with the platform, these eye loops being spaced and arranged for removably receiving a pair of hooks on a conventional roller paint-pan so as to support the paint-pan on the top surface of the platform.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,507,363, issued to Tredup discloses a universal portable support platform for a ladder base is formed from a plurality of interfitting elements capable of left and right interconnections so that a horizontal support can be located selectively adjacent an elevated work site. Adjustment means are provided to level the horizontal support, regardless of the angulation of the ladder base.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,148,958, issued to Ahl, et al. discloses a ladder supported holding tray assembly for releasable attachment to a ladder includes a generally horizontal container including opposing side panels, a front, a back, and a bottom. The tray assembly also includes a ladder attachment bracket including a connecting wall attaching the bracket to a side panel of the tray. Step engagement means are disposed on the bracket, wherein the step engagement means comprises an upward sloping surface to releasably engage and securely hook onto a step from underneath the step. The tray when mounted on a ladder extends laterally outwardly from the ladder so as to not interfere with the normal use of the ladder.
It is an objective of the present invention to provide a device for removably attaching a standard paint roller tray to either a ladder or a step ladder. It is a further objective to provide such a device that is easily removed and reattached for purposes of filling or cleaning. It is a still further objective of the invention to provide a device that is easily adaptable to a variety of paint roller trays. It is yet a further objective to provide a device that can maintain a level orientation at all times. Finally, it is an objective of the present invention to provide such a device that is durable, inexpensive and easily manufactured.
While some of the objectives of the present invention are disclosed in the prior art, none of the inventions found include all of the requirements identified.